Snowed In
by buffymoonxo
Summary: "She had not been prepared for this. This was supposed to be a one time thing, just one night to forget who they are, to lose themselves in each other, and that was where it was supposed to end. But now he's here, they're here. Together." AU Meeting. Dedicated to Lou.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.**

 **A/N: Found the prompt on the Castle Fanfic Prompts blog on Tumblr (it's listed below). Attempted to do something with it. I still don't know if I like this story, I find parts of it cringe-worthy, but I promised to post it, so here it is. Can I go hide now? Anyway, enough of my insecurities. Lol. This is for Lou (InkyCoffee) for her birthday. Her birthday was yesterday, but due to my busy work schedule this wasn't done in time. Sorry for the delay, love! I hope you know how much I adore you and I am so blessed to have you in my life.**

 **So this is one of those AU meeting stories. Hope you (and anyone else who stumbles across this) end up liking it.**

 **-Linda, xoxo.  
**

* * *

 **Snowed In**

She hated January. Combine that with a tough case and that is how she found herself strolling into a bar, looking for a drink and perhaps a little something more. She didn't do this often, but she needed to unwind, she needed to forget. So when she strolled into the crowded room she went straight for the bar, and it did not take long until she caught the eye of the man sitting a few seats down.

Sneaking glances back and forth, small smiles capturing the finer features of both their faces, she just knows it's a matter of time before he makes a move, and she's not wrong. It doesn't take him long to scoot over, a few minutes at most, and then he's offering to buy her next drink for her. She politely accepts, ignoring the way her heart flutters slightly faster the closer he gets.

"So do I get to know your name?" He asks, gazing into her eyes, passing her the drink once the bartender hands it to him.

"Depends. Does it matter?" She knows she'll end up telling him, but she plays along for the sake of it, using her straw to stir the ice cubes around. Her eyes wander from her drink back to him, a small smile appearing across her face when he meets her gaze. He breaks eye contact to take a swig of his drink, but as soon as he sets his glass down he meets her eyes once more. He's still waiting for her to tell him and she knows it.

She gives in. "Kate. My name's Kate."

"Rick." She knows, but she's not going to let him know that.

Playful conversation starts, and within minutes they both know where they're going to end up tonight. Perhaps it's knowing that, or perhaps it's the undeniable spark between them, but it doesn't take long before they make their exit and hail a cab, keeping each other close as the snow steadily falls around them.

Their lips meet as soon as the taxi pulls out from the curb, and his hands are in her hair and along her side and she's gasping for air within minutes. She has to stop him a couple times, not wanting the driver to see or hear too much, but one look into his eyes has her kissing him again within seconds, all thoughts abandoned for a brief moment. The drive takes longer than normal due to the frosty weather, but every moment with him has her skin tingling and her body is aching for more. Neither of them can contain their excitement when the cabbie finally says "We're here."

They exit the cab outside her apartment, paying little attention to anything but each other as she grabs his hand, pulling him inside as quickly as possible, the heavy snow and gusts of wind not even a thought in their minds. She keeps looking back at him on the way towards the elevator, flashing him that wild smile of hers and once the doors close he's on her again, kissing her lips, her neck, as far down as her scarf and winter coat will allow him. His hands are roaming, one minute they're at her sides and the next they're buried in her hair. It's driving her wild, and she almost thinks she can't wait anymore, that she has to have him right here and now.

But then the elevator doors open and she's pulling him down the hall towards her apartment. They're almost running, but as they reach her front door she stops them, leaning up to kiss him tenderly before turning to face the door. He tries to give her space as she looks for her key, but soon his hands are at her hips and his lips at the back of her neck. She can barely focus with all the attention he's giving her, but somehow, miraculously enough, she manages to locate the key and unlock the door.

Clothes begin disappearing as soon as the door shuts, first her scarf and coat, his follow. They kick their shoes off and within minutes there's a trail of clothing leading to her bedroom. Their lips never breaking contact, he finally rids her of the last of her clothing and they fall together into the sea of her sheets. After that, it's just them. And in that moment, that is all she needs.

* * *

She's the first to wake, immediately sensing his presence before she even opens her eyes. She's about to kick him out and tell him to leave, this was a one time thing, after all. But when she looks up to see him sleeping soundly, he looks so peaceful. She observes the way his chest rises and falls with each breath, in a steady unfailing rhythm, and she doesn't have the heart to disturb him. Figuring he earned his rest, she disentangles from his arms carefully and after grabbing a set of clothes to wear, she wanders into the bathroom and turns on the shower. With any luck, by the time she comes back he'll be gone.

He's awake when she walks back in, his back turned to her. She takes a moment to observe him. He's half dressed and his hair is messy. He turns to face her unexpectedly, but does not meet her eyes. He's staring at the floor and that's when she realizes he's searching for his missing shirt.

"You, um… you lost it in the living room." She explains. They share a glance and for just a second they're frozen in time, eyes gazing back and forth. But the moment is brief, and before she knows it he wanders past her to retrieve his shirt off the living room floor. It felt a bit awkward, but they both knew this was a one time thing. Normally she would've had him leave in the night, but it seemed they had both needed someone, and so she had allowed him to stay, taking comfort in him as they sleep in each other's embrace

But that was last night, and this was now. She followed him to the living room, and stepped up to help him when she noticed he was struggling with a button. She looked up at him, and the stare that met hers was almost startling in broad daylight.

"Thank you." She said, stepping back and allowing him to pass by her.

He nodded, grabbing his coat. "Likewise."

And that was it. He stepped out, she locked the door behind him. And then she was alone. She stood there for a second, taking in the quiet of her apartment, before turning on her heel and heading towards the kitchen - or more importantly, the coffee pot.

She's going through the contents of her fridge when she hears the knock on her door. Shutting the fridge, she wanders down the short hall to the entryway. She had a feeling it was him, and that's confirmed when she spots him through the peephole. Unlocking and pulling the door open, she gives him a curious look, "You forget something?" she inquires.

"No, not exactly… Um… Have you looked out your window by any chance?" He asks, noticing how her brows quirk in curiosity.

"No. Is everything okay out there?" She turns around, trying to catch a glance out her living room window, but most of her blinds are shut and all she can see is a steady snowfall between the cracks.

"Well, the roads are shut down."

"What?"

"It's a mess out there. All forms of transportation have been taken off the roads. We're snowed in." He gets right to the point, waiting for her response.

Realization slowly creeps onto her face and she nods once, realizing in that moment that he has nowhere else to go and that their one time rendezvous was about to be extended longer for than intended. She steps aside, gesturing with her arm to welcome him back inside, closing the door behind him.

"I'm sorry to invade-"

"No, it's okay. I mean, you can't help the weather." She chuckles, the silence between them feeling significantly more awkward than it had even ten minutes ago. Because ten minutes ago they had parted with the understanding that they were never going to see each other again. Yet, here they are, standing in her living room with a loss of words as to what to say to one another. Their eyes meet for a second, before they both find each other avoiding the other's gaze, and she is the first to break the silence.

"So… I was just making a cup of coffee. Would you like-"

"Yeah, coffee would be great." he answers quickly.

"Great… Okay, so just make yourself comfortable and I'll get started on the coffee." As soon as he's heading toward the couch she turns toward the kitchen, catching her breath as she prepares the beverages. She had not been prepared for this. This was supposed to be a one time thing, just one night to forget who they are, to lose themselves in each other, and that was where it was supposed to end. But now _he's_ here, they're here. Together. .

She takes a moment, and breathes in. She can do this, she faces murderers on a daily basis. She can handle a house guest for a day. She prepares her coffee, and is just about to pour his when she realizes she doesn't know how he likes his coffee.

"Hey, Rick? How do you take your coffee?" she asks.

"Cream and two sugars. Thanks."

She finishes preparing the beverages and walks up to him, mugs in hand. She expects him to be sitting on the couch. But he's not sitting, instead she finds him gazing around her apartment, familiarizing himself with the space as if he's going to be spending a significant amount of time there.

"Hey." she breaks the silence, extending her arm, handing him the mug. "Got your coffee."

He accepts it graciously, "thank you." she nods, taking a seat at the corner seat of the couch, crossing her legs and cradling her cup close. But her eyes don't leave him, even as he sits down on the opposite side of the couch.

"Nice place you've got here." He comments, taking a sip from the cup, choking slightly. "Oh, um… it's hot."

"Thanks…" she mutters, not quite sure where this conversation is going. After a sip, she speaks up again, "So, you said the roads were blocked?"

"Yeah, all taxis are off the roads, even my car service won't drive in this."

"Wow."

"Yeah, subways are still running, but no one can get to them in this weather." She nods, looks down at her coffee mug and takes another sip.

She knew it was bad out there, having grabbed a proper glance out the window while preparing the coffees, to only see gusty white snow covering everything. It hadn't been nearly this bad when they arrived at her place last night, although admittedly, neither of them were paying much attention to the weather.

But somehow between the time they hit the mattress of her bed and the rise of the sun, a thick, white sheet of snow had blanketed New York and it was not showing any indication of stopping any time soon. And that is when it really sinks in. That they're stuck here until the roads clear. Together.

She's about to speak up when he speaks first. "Could you excuse me? I have to make a phone call."

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead." She nods, watching him as he rises to his feet and walks to the kitchen. She tells herself she won't listen in, but apart from him, her apartment is silent. So she can't help but catch part of it.

"No, Alexis. I'm okay, don't worry. I'll be home as soon as I can. Love you too. Bye." he returns, looking already more at ease. She places her mug on the coffee table, and grabs the TV remote.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just had to call my daughter. She worries." He tells her..

"You have a daughter?" Well, this certainly wasn't what she was expecting.

"Yeah… Alexis… Wise beyond her years, that one." He chuckles, and she can't help but notice the pride in his voice, and a small smile appears on her lips. Despite having read his books, she did not know he had a daughter. Perhaps there was more to him than what met the eye.

* * *

The awkwardness subsides eventually, and they find conversation rather easy. She keeps the TV on, switching between the news and weather report. No change, the snow continues to fall and no one's expecting it to stop for a while. Thankfully she has the next few days off, so she doesn't have to worry about calling in, although she doubts Montgomery would expect her to show up in this weather.

They end up having breakfast together. He makes his way around the kitchen and cooks her pancakes. He tells her about his daughter, she tells him about her work. Playful jokes are exchanged, smiles are shared, and with every passing minute sharing each other's presence becomes easier.

They spend the day watching movies on the couch, playing cards and enjoying each other's company. He helps her cook dinner - chicken alfredo pasta - and assists with the dishes. After dinner they check the weather report again, finding not only that everything is still shut down, but the storm's getting worse. It's going to continue throughout the night, so she jokingly asks if he wants to stay over. As if he has a choice...

She realizes it would be silly to ask him to sleep on the couch after they spent an entire night in each other's arms. But if anything was made clear with their day together, it was the fact that it was still just a one time thing. Once the storm clears, he would be leaving and he'd have no reason to return and that would be the end of it.

She has a spare toothbrush that she gives him, and she pulls out an old t-shirt an ex left at her place and gives it to him to sleep in, apologizing for not having anything else. She also hands him a couple of towels, and tells him how the shower works. He thanks her graciously, grabbing the shirt and towels, leaving her for the first time all day to cleanse and get ready for bed.

When he exits the bathroom he finds her sitting on the right side of the bed, book in hand, her hair tied up in a loose bun. For a moment he's captivated by her beauty, the way she exists in such a peaceful state, but he knows she can sense him watching, so he moves forward, making his way around the bed and slips in beside her.

"Whatcha reading?" He asks curiously. She turns and smirks at him, letting out a small chuckle, before retrieving the dust jacket the nightstand to reveal his latest Derrick Storm novel.

"A fan, I see."

"Of the genre." she responds, and she knows he doesn't believe her. But he doesn't push, doesn't try to get her to tell him otherwise. He simply gives her a smile, and she just knows it's a silent thank you for everything that has taken place since the two of them locked eyes at that bar. As the night fades on, and sleep captures them both, she's not surprised the next morning when she finds herself waking up in his arms again.

* * *

The second day isn't much different, as the snow is as relentless as ever. Another day spent on the couch in front of the TV, talking and slowly getting to know one another. He takes a break to talk to his daughter, she takes the time to text Lanie about the guy trapped in her home. But apart from that brief moment of distance, they spend the day side by side.

However, the more time that goes by and as night approaches she becomes anxious. She wants him to leave - not because he's bad company by any means, but because once the clock strikes midnight everything will change. It will be _the_ day. The day she hates the most. The day she's been trying to forget was approaching.

This day, combined with the tough case she worked, was the reason why she had ended up in that bar in the first place. It was the reason she had brought him home. She had wanted to forget, and for a while she had. They had been existing in this tiny bubble, just the two of them, and it had been nice. But now she's ready for him to leave, because after having spent two full days with the man, she knows he will notice the moment it happens. And she's not ready for anyone to see her like this. She's usually very good at controlling her emotions, but this is the one day where she can't. On this day, no mask can hide her true feelings.

She stares out the window, the snow seeming heavier than ever, although it likely hasn't changed one bit. Perhaps it's her inner feelings making everything seem heavier, darker… In fact, she's almost sure that's what it is. And he must sense something is wrong because once he's finished drying the dishes from their dinner, he approaches her, "Are you okay?"

She lies. Tells him yes. She knows it's not convincing and she knows he wants to know more, but he must know better than to pry, because he doesn't ask again. He knows he's only here due to the weather, because the universe didn't allow him to leave. And he's grateful to her, to opening her home to him despite having only met just two days prior. He's about to thank her once more, she's anticipating his words, when out of nowhere everything goes dark. They both glance around on instinct, knowing within seconds what happened.

"Great. Now we have no power." She mutters.

"Well, it's not all bad. You got any candles?" he asks. She does, and she quickly turns away from the window, heading towards her storage closet. She knows where the flashlight is located and grabs for it blindly, switching it on in search for the candles and matchbox. It doesn't take long before between the two of them they have the living room illuminated in golden flickering lights.

The candle light captures her face, and he can still tell something is wrong. Something shifted, and she's not the same person he met two days ago. He tries to talk to her, keep a conversation going, but every time she responds it's as if she isn't focused, and the conversation trails off. It doesn't take him long to realize she's not in the mood to talk, so he stops trying.

They settle for watching a movie on her laptop, and continue watching movies until the battery dies out. At that point they agree it's best to just get to sleep, so again he crawls in next to her in her bed. However, when he turns to look at her this time, she has her back facing him. He's confused, to say the least, in the change of her attitude since the day before, and for a moment he wonders if it's something he did. Regardless, it's clear she does not want to talk about it, so he leaves her be and rolls over so he's facing away from her.

* * *

She doesn't sleep. She never does on this day. She always tries, but once again without fail, her mind and body are not allowing her to rest. This is why she has gotten in the habit of taking the day off from work. Not necessarily to spend the day mourning, because work would be a great distraction from reality. But the fact is, she can't forget. She can't, and she won't. And the lack of sleep would leave her too sleep deprived to do anything else, not to mention the wave of emotions she's hit with with on this day. At this point, her lack of sleep is almost an annual tradition

The only difference this year is the man sleeping next to her. He doesn't know, and for a moment she wishes she could live not knowing as well. But, there's no forgetting and she just knows there's no sleeping tonight. At the same time, she doesn't want him to worry. So she waits, and once she hears his breaths become even, she carefully slips out of the bed, grabbing her robe and slippers on her way out.

She's quiet, lights a few candles for light, and sits down on the couch. Her gaze is locked at the window, the snow still falling in thick, heavy flakes. This would normally be a rather peaceful scene, but the pain in her chest is making it almost unbearable. She crosses her legs, grabbing a nearby pillow and hugging it close to her chest, trying to keep her breaths even in an attempt to not fall apart completely. She's so lost in thought that she doesn't hear him when he walks in, startling her with his words, "Hey, everything okay?"

Part of her wants to scream at him, to throw the pillow she's clutching right at his face because that is the dumbest question he could've asked. Was she okay? No! Of course not. But… he didn't know that. He didn't know and she hadn't told him, and she can't fault him for that. He wasn't supposed to know, he wasn't supposed to see her like this, he wasn't even supposed to be here. Yet, here they are, in the dark night, with nothing but a few candles illuminating the space.

She tries to speak, but loses her words. Tears form in her eyes without her permission, and she's shocked to find him by her side in seconds. She breaks, a sob leaving her lips and before she knows it his arms are around her, embracing her. She tries to push him away, she doesn't want him seeing her like this, but he doesn't let go and within seconds her resistance has turned into her holding onto him for dear life, allowing her grief to wash out of her, tears staining the shoulder of his t-shirt.

They stay like this for a while, neither of them fully knowing how much time passes by the time her tears have subsided. It's silent, and it's only then she realizes how grateful she is to have had him there. So she tells him everything. She tells him about her mom, and how today is the anniversary of her death. She tells him about why she brought him home, she even admits to having read his books to help her cope. He's nothing but understanding, and having him there in that moment, is exactly what she needs.

He's been holding her for a while, gently stroking her back with his fingers, when she surprises him by leaning up and pressing a gentle kiss to the edge of his mouth. He knows it's a thank you, and holds her closer than before. He wishes he could do more for her, but even this seems to have helped a bit. She's getting sleepy, the tears having exhausted her. She leans into him. With his arms around her, she feels safer, more relaxed and for the first time she feels there's a chance of her getting some sleep tonight. She hadn't wanted him there, not for this day. But he's helped her more than she can express.

They eventually drag themselves up from the couch, blowing out the last remaining candles. He's the one to lead her by the hand, stopping at the bed. The room is fully dark, the power still out, but he can feel her stare. She leans up and kisses him again, pulling away for a moment, only to kiss him again a second later. He holds her close, his hands now at her hips, her hands travelling up his back and into his hair.

"Kate-"

He's trying to stop her, but she doesn't want to be stopped. She wants this, wants him. She'd never admit it in broad daylight, but he's helped her so much in just these last few hours just by being there. She wants to give back to him, she wants him and only him. So she's insistent with her kisses, the fatigue she felt earlier abandoning her body with every swipe of his tongue, and before they know it they're falling back on mattress.

* * *

She wakes to the sun breaking through the window, illuminating the room in a golden glow. He's awake, gazing at her while one hand lazily rubs the bottom of her spine.

"Morning…" He says, but she can't find her words yet. So she cuddles into him closer, holds on a little tighter. She had finally found sleep in his arms, something she hadn't seen coming just hours before. And she feels rested, safe, and for a moment, she feels okay. Nothing will ever make this day easy for her, but he did help.

When they eventually make their way out of bed, they're surprised to find the power has restored, and that the snowfall has finally stopped. They turn on the news, the announcer saying the storm is over, that the roads are slowly being cleared. And despite her not being superstitious, it almost feels as if it was fate. She could've gone to any bar, could've found any guy. But she found him, and due to unforeseeable circumstances he was forced to stay with her during the time when she usually prefers to be alone. And somehow in all of this, he made it better.

She gives him a smile as she hands him his coffee, taking a sip before she speaks up. "So, um… Last night… I just-" She takes a breath, finding her words. "I just don't normally do this. I'm not good at this."

"This?" He inquires, confusion covering his face.

"Being open, Rick… I normally wouldn't have told you all that." she confesses, her hair falling off her shoulder as she glances down.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm glad you told me. I don't want you going through it alone." she looks up and meets his gaze once again, a small smile returning to her face.

"Well… thank you. For listening… and, for everything else."

"Always. Shall we?" he gestures to the couch, and she takes a seat next to him.

Cleaning up New York City after a storm like that takes time, so he spends the day with her. They talk for a long time, and after careful consideration on her part, she agrees to see him again. She can't deny that she doesn't want to see him again anymore, because there's an undeniable spark between them, and he's already seen her at her worst. But it's not just the comfort, it's the man. He's fascinated her through his writing for years, and ever since he stepped into her life she's felt happier and more secure, and it's only been three days. It's something she can't explain, and perhaps they're moving too fast, but by the time he leaves a bit after midnight, she's already missing him.

He calls as soon as he gets home, letting her know he got here safe. She tells him about what she thought of the final chapter of his book, having picked it up again as soon as he left. They laugh well into the hours of the late night, agreeing to see each other soon.

He's back at her door with two coffees and a bouquet of flowers the very next day.

* * *

 _Prompt is from rtds9fan: "AU meeting. It was supposed to be a quick one night stand after meeting in a bar/club. Only problem is a once in a century freak snow storm/blizzard has them stuck together for days on end in her apartment!"_


End file.
